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Species: Monolene megalepis, Spottedfin deepwater flounder, Spottedfin flounder

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

head blunt
D 88-94; pectoral 17-19
C 2 dark ovals
pectoral: short, bottom rays =/> top rays
LL arched

Monolene megalepis Woods, 1961

Spottedfin deepwater flounder

Body an elongate oval, tapering to tail; head and snout relatively blunt; snout < eye; eyes on left side; between eyes narrow, with crest that lacks spines; mouth short, ends under front part of eye; teeth ~equally developed on eye- and blind-sides; dorsal rays 88-94; pectoral rays not branched, fin short (~equal to head) with lower rays equal to or slightly longer than upper rays, 17-19 rays, no fin on blind side in adults; base of eye-side pelvic fin about equal to base of blind-side fin, situated on body midline, its origin a little behind that of blind-side fin; lateral line on eye side only, strongly arched above the pectoral, no branch under lower eye.

Dark body and fins; 2 large dark oval blotches at middle of tail fin.

Size: 10 cm.

Habitat: shell and mud bottoms.

Depth: 73-550 m.

The Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Mud
  • Soft bottom only
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
FishBase Habitat
  • Bathydemersal
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
  • Data
  • Mobile benthic worms
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • Greater Caribbean endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
  • All species.
Regional Endemism
  • Caribbean endemic
  • All species..
  • GC endemic
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continent
  • Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 10
Depth Range Min
  • 73
Depth Range Max
  • 550